Tag Archives: Adrian Peterson

Ask Papa Weimer: Last Pre-Season Questions

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Here it is, one more question and answer section from you guys to me – there were three pretty solid email questions that I thought would be good to share – these are them.

David-Bill-Bob from America writes, “What do you think of Ted Ginn as a possible receiver option this season? What about Robert Meachem, James Hardy, Devin Hester, and Sidney Rice? Can you rate that foursome?”

Oh yes, lots of upside here. Not very much sure-thing here, but who loves to play a game you’re sure to win? Not me – I’m all about the upside. Forget the Bobby Engrams and the Derrick Masons, I’ll wait longer and dance with the young-guns. I think Ted Ginn could be a great player in the Dolphins passing attack, but I doubt he’ll score many touchdowns. The thing that’s good about his situation is that Pennington throws short a lot and Ted is fast enough to get some separation early. As for the rest of the guys, Devin Hester is my favorite – he’s a touchdown waiting to happen, and even if he gets 60 catches this season, he’ll probably take 10 of them to the house. Robert Meachem could be the best of the bunch, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the kid coming out of college. He looked solid in the pre-season, and what a weapon he could be if Drew Brees finds a liking for throwing to him against single coverage. Sidney Rice is a nice sleeper – it’s said that T-Jackson is more accurate than ever, and with Berrian opposite Rice, Sindney should get lots of single coverage. I don’t know if the Vikes will throw enough to make Rice a solid start week in and week out, but the kid can go up and get the ball, which might be good for 6-9 scores as defenses will focus on the run. James Hardy was my favorite receiver in the draft and I think he has a bright future, but he’s just a rookie and the speed of the game might hamper him early. Keep an eye on him though, when he figures it out he’ll be a threat. I’d rank them like this… Ginn Jr. – Devin Hester – Robert Meachem – Sidney Rice – James Hardy.

Tim from Floresville, Texas writes, “The people in my league think I am crazy for trading Chad Johnson for Bernard Berrian. What do you think?? I only picked up Chad to trade him, his inconsistencies and the fact that Cinci has the 2nd toughest schedule against the pass this season made me trade him away.”

Tim, I think BB is a good receiver, but he’s not Chad Johnson. I fully understand taking Chad so you can trade him later, but I still don’t think you got the best value you could have by grabbing BB in a trade for him. If all you wanted was BB, you could have just drafted him instead of Chad. You likely would have gotten a better RB where you got Chad, and you still could have got BB later. You say Berrian didn’t have anyone throwing him the ball last year, but in reality, Tarvaris Jackson isn’t even as prolific through the air as Rex Grossman is. I like Jackson’s upside, but even if Chad has a down year and Berrian plays really well, I thikn the best you can hope for here is a push. Even against tough passing defenses, the Bengals still ahve Carson Palmer and TJ Housmandzadeh to help take the pressure off Chad. Maybe the Bengals just crash and tumble, and maybe Chad is hurt and out longer than expected – and maybe Jackson shows maturity and tosses 20 touchdowns. I don’t know, but that just seems like a lot of maybes to hope for. I have BB in a few leagues, and I would definitely trade him straight up for Chad in every one of them. But no, I don’t think you’re crazy, I think you’re courageous. There’s nothing better in fantasy football than making a trade that everyone thinks you are stupid for and coming out on top because of it. That means you were right and everyone else was wrong. That’s the best. You definitely did your research, and I’m rooting for you. Also, Chad isn’t consistent, that’s true. Over the last couple seasons, he’ll help you win 3 or 4 weeks and kill you for the other 10. With a lot of single coverage, because of Peterson, BB could end up being a lot more consistent that Chad. Good luck!

T.J. in Alabama says, “Papa, you have any sweet predictions this season? Last year you told me that Randy was going to blow up and Larry Fitz was going to lead the league – both had huge years for me and I’m back for more. Any secret advice?”

Like Chef once said, “You’ve got to find the clitoris.” That might not help in this particular situation, but it does allow older men (like myself) to pleasure younger women, which in turn gives hope to mankind. Alright, alright, I was planning on a little, “This is how I see it” article next week, but here’s a little preview, T.J., you impatient bastard!

Larry Johnson will be a Top 5 running back this year, making him an absolute steal at the end of Round 1 where he’s getting drafted.

Drew Brees will throw more touchdown passes (I’m thinking 36) than any other quarterback in the NFL this season. That’s right, while I’m not a huge fan of Jeremiah Shocker, he will take that much pressure off of Drew because of the constant attention opposing defenses will have to pay him. I don’t think Shockey’s touchdown totals will improve all that much (he’s bound to drop as many TDs as he catches – so probably 6-7 scores for him) but Reggie Bush, Colston, and Meachem will all set their season high touchdown marks this year. Brees as well.

Ricky Williams will have more fantasy points than Edgerrin James – this is no knock on James, because Ricky will outscore three of the following high-round picks… LenDale White, Earnest Graham, Ronnie Brown, Julius Jones, and Willie Parker.

Adrian Peterson extreemists are right, there will be at least one back that outscores LaDainian Tomlinson this season, but they are also wrong, because it won’t be AP – Marion Barber will lead all running backs in fantasy points this season.

And last but not least, Randy Moss won’t come close to his record touchdown catches of last year, but Wes Welker will score more fantasy points this year than he did last year – both are still great options to have.

Keep the questions coming, and stay tuned, I’ll be here all season! (hopefully the ticker keeps tickin’)

Dos and Don’ts: Draft Day Trickery!

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I’m not quite as wordy as my nephew, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have knowledge. Sure, he can get all wordily-smurdily, but I have 30 single sentences that will help you during your drafts, during the season, and during sex – believe it! Here they are, the never-dos; the dropped soap, the pissing peak, the naked wander down 5th avenue at noon – but all in fantasy terms, well mostly all. Confused yet? Here you go…

  1. Never ever pick a quarterback in the 1st round.
  2. Don’t draft a fantasy team on the fly, cheat sheets and player listings are there for a reason; mostly so you don’t draft guys that have been already drafted.
  3. Run with scissors on draft day, it makes other people afraid of you because you are dangerous.
  4. Take a 3rd running back before some teams have two, it makes them go crazy.
  5. Don’t ever talk on a cell phone during a draft, and feel free to punch any blue tooth drafter right in the throat.
  6. Barry Sanders and Ahman Green have similar chances to succeed in 2008, so for fun, do draft the former right after the latter is selected.
  7. When people make terrible picks, do mock them by saying you were just about to pick that guy (especially in the Ahman Green then Barry Sanders case).
  8. Don’t draft a guy in round 2 and then try to trade him immediately for a guy your buddy picked in Round 3 – it’s just bad form.
  9. If you want Frank Gore because you think he’s going to go nuts this year, do pick him early rather than miss him and watch him do exactly what you thought he’d do.
  10. Don’t talk about Thomas Jones’ biceps at the Sex Store with your girl, she’ll make you wish you haden’t.
  11. Do dabble in the late receiver run.
  12. Don’t you dare waste two picks in the first 5 rounds on quarterabacks.
  13. Don’t get Steve Smiths, Adrian Petersons, or Roy Williams’s confused.
  14. If you’re going to pick like an idiot then make sure you do shower before and after, that way you won’t feel like a bunch of your best friends did you dirty.
  15. Do doo-doo before you draft – nobody likes to wait on a guy in the shitter and it gives you extra time to study up.
  16. Don’t doo-doo while drafting, because then you’ll have to take a shower during the draft and you’ll have to borrow a buddies sweat pants, plus relieving yourself in your pants isn’t cool despite what Happy Gilmore says.
  17. Don’t pick anybody that broke a record last season – the value just isn’t there.
  18. Don’t ever tell me Don’t or I’ll rub your neck beard and karate chop you.
  19. Do physically write down you jack-off friends remarks during the draft – you can either use it against them later or listen to them next year, either way.
  20. Don’t wish you would have – it’s really pretty much the most useless act of all antasy drafts everywhere.
  21. Don’t bring a good buddy that doesn’t know much about football to a longtime league – for his and your sake.
  22. Don’t draft every skill player from your home team, because it doesn’t even work in New England.
  23. Do look at the position you pick out of a hat, but don’t let the others know you looked – that way if you don’t like it you can ask them to blindly trade you picks and sometimes the dumb ones will.
  24. Don’t pick backups for every position unless transactions aren’t free.
  25. Don’t pick a complete starting lineup before you pick back-ups for any single position – nobody that does that ever wins anything.
  26. Don’t pronounce names wrong.
  27. Do feel free to use first names when talking about soon to be legends, Tom, Peyton, Randy, Terrell, LaDainian.
  28. Don’t ever call out “L. Tomlinson” because your cheat sheet doesn’t print first names, because everyone will secretly hate you for it.
  29. Don’t do 12 ESPN Mock Drafts and 3 Yahoo Mock Drafts only to proclaim, “This draft is nothing like the 15 mock drafts I did last night”, because not only do you sound like an idiot but you are an idiot.
  30. Don’t follow every single rule on this list, but 29 out of 30 ain’t bad!

Ask Papa Weimer #2 – 2008 Pre-Season

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This is the section where you ask me the questions. I may be old and I may be stingy, but you can bet your balls that my fantasy football advice will steer you in the right direction. With some new pills and a nice little workout regimen that includes a couple of hours a day with my new fiancé, I’m feeling better than ever before. HA! Let the games begin… You know the program, grip it and rip it, ask it and I’ll answer it – send your questions via email to papaweimer50@hotmail.com and this old fart will respond as soon as possible. Pre-Season games start this Sunday, so indeed, the season is beginning.

Red-Red Ryan from Walla Walla asks, “I just got a trade offer in a keeper league and I’m just not sure. I’d be giving away Adrian Peterson and picking up Joseph Addai and Sydney Rice. What do you think?”

There are some things in life you should “Just Say No” to – shell fish enchiladas, girls that match their eye shadow with their bra and their dodge neon, drugs (most anyway), and trades like this. Ask yourself this, how can a 2nd year #2 wide receiver, that hasn’t done anything yet, and plays in a high flying passing attack like that in Minnesota, sway a trade between two stars? Unless you think Addai and Peterson are dead even then you should just say no to this deal. I like Rice, but he’s no reason to axe Peterson. If you are trading AP then you better be getting good at another position. Right now, you’d be adding a running back of lesser value and a receiver that probably won’t start on your team (unless your receivers are Marshall, Steve Smith, and Keyshawn Johnson). I say hold onto AP and wait until someone goes gaga over him. Last year, I traded AP for Frank Gore, Reggie Bush, and Larry Fitz. That was a decent deal. Hold out for better!

Bad Boy from Jersey whispers, “I am having a hard time thinking about the first round of my draft – see, I have the 2nd pick and while I think LT and AP are both super talented guys, I have this eerie feeling that Marion Barber is going to take the fantasy MVP title this season. Can I really take Barber #2 – I see your nephew has Marion ranked 2nd in the RB listings – so at least I have him backing me, right?”

Sure you can. Will people laugh? You bet. Will people destroy you all year long if you pass on LT and AP. Shoot, they’ll hammer you like Jenna. But do it. This is the thing that kills me year after year, people always draft the guys that magazines and “experts” value the most. In the 1st round, value means jack. If I’m picking 4th and I think Clinton Portis is going to blow up in Jim Zorn’s new offense, I’m taking him despite the mockery, gawking, and chance at humiliation. You know why? Because I believe in myself. Now, if I could trade AP for the #5 pick and maybe a 3rd or 4th round pick, I’d go for that. That way, I could pick up Barber at #5 (likely) and pick up a great player with that extra pick (Colston, Brees, Boldin, Mike Turner, etc) and that will likely make my team better. Don’t just blow the spot you have, if you can, try to propose some trades. Maybe tell the #5 guy or #4 pick that if he takes Barber, you’ll trade him AP for MBIII and his 4th round pick. There are a lot of AP lovers out there – don’t sell yourself short, exhaust your resources and try to get paid!

Justin “BB” King from Pearly Harbor says, “Please explain to me why Steve Smith and Brandon Marshall are dropping down rounds from where they were picked before their suspensions? Two games, right? Two freaking games – hell, I’ll take those guys late ever single time. Studs. Am I missing something?”

You have it right on the dot. Steve Smith and Brandon Marshall are dropping for little reason. Having them both might lose you the first couple of weeks, but the next 10 weeks that matter should give you quite the advantage. If they drop more than a round in your draft, I’d do just what you think you’re going to do, pick them right up. Both should have huge years and both are probably Top 10 guys at that position. Plus, it’s not hard to find a couple receivers to start in the first couple weeks. Just do some research and find some good value with good match-ups against terrible defenses during the first couple weeks. Baltimore plays Cincinnati (bad defense) so Derrick Mason could be a good late round pick up. He’s almost assured a handful of catches and 80+ yards against the Bengals. The Bears play the Colts, so maybe Devin Hester? New England plays the Chiefs and then the Jets, so grabbing Jabbar Gaffney late could be decent sleeper starting option in the first few weeks. Do some research, put yourself in a good spot, and yeah, go for those two All-Pro receivers if they drop down the board. Good Luck!

2007 Fantasy Football theRUNDOWN Week 14

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This Week’s Top Team: The search for 140…. If this were a PPR format – that would be easy breezy!

QB: Tony Romo vs. Detroit: Romo against the Lions secondary – boy, I love that lineup so much I’m scared to use it. Oh well, I had a piece of pie, and I’m not scared anymore – this seems too good to be true. 300+ and 3 TDs… Anyone?

RB: Adrian Peterson vs. San Francisco: A great line and a relatively small defensive run stopping unit that hasn’t succeeded in anything except stopping their own pathetic offense in practice during scrimmages all year long. (Exhale) Peterson is a beast – and even with 15-20 carries, you’d think he’ll put up 130+ and a TD or two.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Tennessee: I don’t care who he’s playing, I’d probably take him against the armies of hell and Mordor combined into one wretched pack of homely beasts. I think the Titans will feel a little ego bruising after LT is done with them.

WR: Randy Moss vs. Pittsburgh: I’ll ride Randy’s low point, and expect a big week from the super-talented wide receiver this week in Pittsburgh. It doesn’t hurt that I think the Pats will put it on the Steel Show.

WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Baltimore: The Ravens were solid in shutting down Randy Moss last week, but Reggie is all Peyton has, and I think the Ravens will bow out early against the Colts – they have to be questioning themselves, their coaches, and of course life in general after last week’s last second loss.

TE: Antonio Gates vs. Tennessee: Gates had 1 catch for -1 yard last week – not really the stats you’d like to have from the solid pass catching tight end. This week, the Titans will do their damnedest to stop LT, and Gates should find a few open holes to take advantage of less defensive coverage.

K: Nick Folk vs. Detroit: I think Folk could have a big week – but I’m always wrong. So, just in case, I’m hoping my back kicker luck could wear on the Cowboys and maybe give the Lions a much needed upset – mainly so TO will start another week for my fantasy playoffs. So what? I have an ulterior motive here – big whoop.

D: Jaguars vs. Carolina: Carolina stinks – they should get hammered by the Jags – a shutout possibly? I sure hope so.

LUCKY’S Week 14 SLEEPERS

Marc Bulger: I like Bulger against the Bengals almost as much as I like Palmer against the Rams – and Bulger is a much bigger sleeper at this point.

Earnest Graham: I’ll ride this kid’s bandwagon once again -hell, I’ll drive the damn thing. Graham has been all kinds of great, and though he may not be much of a sleeper – there’s still leagues in which he’s a free agent – that’s just plain stupid.

Ryan Grant: This one is pretty easy – he’s a beast and he’s rolling up against the Raiders – aka – have your best game of the season, a coke, and a smile.

Maurice Jones Drew: I’m feeling a day full of magic from this mighty little fellow – and I say little lightly – lets be honest, 5’8″ and 215 pounds isn’t small by any means. That’s a huge short guy.

Sydney Rice: Much will be focused on the Vikings run game against the 49ers, and while they still won’t be able to stop it, Rice will get his chance to get deep on a few play action options.

Roddy White: He shouldn’t be a sleeper, but I just picked him up last week – and that’s absurd. Against the Saints, he’s got to be a top 20 option this week.

Vernon Davis: The Niners won’t be able to run, and they’ll have to pass to keep in this game – Davis is their best option. I’m not crazy about this pick, but he’s an option.

Mercedes Lewis: The only pass catching tight end option in Jacksonville, and he has an accurate and safe passer throwing the ball. That’s a good combination for a tight end that is probably on your waiver wire. Add that to his size and hands – you have to like this play.

Buccaneers: The Texans can put up points, but the Bucs have been good at shutting squads down all year long. I like Tampa’s chances against a Sage Rosenfell and Ron Dayne led offense. (I guess Andrew Johnson is the real leader, but he’s a WR, they don’t count)

LUCKY’S Week 14 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Eli Manning: Because he’s brutal.

Joseph Addai: The Ravens should stop him just like they’ve stopped every other running back. I sure like Addai though, and I know I can’t sit him – it’s just that I don’t think he’ll be good this week.

Justin Fargas: This young back has been dynamite since getting the starting gig, but I don’t see the Packers letting him run around much on Sunday.

Javon Walker: I like the Chiefs’ defense, and Walker has been slow to return from injuries. He’s still a week or two off, and the Broncos are still trying to figure their lives out.